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HCMC MARATHON 2018 POWERED BY TAIWAN EXCELLENCE

Dream Big With The Orange Initiative

HCMC Marathon 2018 powered by Taiwan Excellence is the road of dreams; it encourage people to be ambitious and to conquer more and at the same time
it behaves as a bridge which connects with disable people.

According to the 2009 census, there are 6 million people with disabilities around the country who feel pain every day. Out of this number,
a significant percentage comes from the Agent Orange survivor's. Inspired by a humanitarian desire to raise the public awareness of this disease,
the Ho Chi Minh City Peace and Development Foundation (HPDF) is collaborating for the second year with Pulse Active in order to implement the Orange Initiative.

In the last edition of HCMC Marathon, we witnessed extraordinary efforts from this groups of disabled people who strived and fought to reach the finish line.
Despite their challenging conditions, they broke their limits, keep on pursuing their dreams and they made it happen.
This year, HCMC Marathon 2018 powered by Taiwan Excellence and the Orange Initiative are calling out for support from the marathon community, to help making the orange dream come true.

Today in Viet Nam, an estimated more than six million persons or nearly 8% of the population live with disabilities (PWD).
Of those a sizable number are Agent Orange survivors (AOS) and their offsprings. During the war, fifty years ago,
Viet Nam was sprayed with the toxic herbicide called Agent Orange. As a result, a notable number of children continue to be
born today with congenital diseases and their families are at a loss how to deal with their conditions. PWD/AOS are entitled to opportunities to exercise their human rights, among which is taking part in physical activities

This is how Orange Initiative (OI) emerged to incorporate into the annual HCMC-based international marathon a run in which PWD/AOS can participate.
The marathon is also an opportunity to encourage event runners to support and donate to help PWD/AOS.

Ms. Takahashi Naoko, the sole women's marathon gold medalist in Asia (Sydney Olympics 2000), will be invited to be the star runner of the marathon in HCMC in January 2018..